GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay’s Mason St. Bridge could be getting some major work done in the future.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has two proposed projects and on Tuesday night, those ideas were presented to the public.
The Mason St. Bridge, which crosses the Fox River, is the southernmost lift bridge in the city of Green Bay. More than 30,000 vehicles use the bridge each day.
The first project the DOT has scheduled would make improvements to the lift portion of the bridge, which sits atop the Fox River. Work is set for late 2026 or early 2027.
The second project, which is set for 2032, would be more expansive. The DOT has three ideas in mind.
One would be to reconstruct the bridge similar to how it is now. Another would bring both sides of the bridge down to street level.
“A lot of the preliminary conversations I’ve had have suggested the desire to bring that back down to grade,” said Green Bay Alderman for District 9 Brian Johnson.
Finally, the third idea would be to have a hybrid, where one end of the bridge remains elevated and the other is brought down to street level.
“Certainly, I think everybody’s concern is the railroad and emergency services and delay,” said Bryan Lipke, WisDOT planning project manager. “So you know those are going to be part of the conversation when we’re shaping our alternatives.”
Tarl Knight, the director of Green Bay’s Shipyard District, says bringing the bridge down to street level would be a benefit for area businesses.
“I think a lot of the businesses and residents of that area want to see that area improve. Bringing all of these vehicles every day every week through the shipyard district and shipyard neighborhoods, that’s going to create that kind of attention that we need in order to reinvest in that community.”
The next public meeting is scheduled for fall of 2024.
The public is also encouraged to submit written comments online. Click here to find the form.
